Vaccine ✔️

💉 💪 I had my second Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 jab last week, three weeks after getting my first. So by Wednesday I should have 95% efficacy. That feels really good knowing that life can soon get back to normal, and that specifically means the abililty to go and see family and friends.

A fair number of people I know here were unwell after the 2nd shot, the impervious-other-half had flu symptoms and spent the day after hers in bed. I just had a nagging mild headache which dissapated the next morning. A sore arm from the first one is a seemingly popular complaint.

All the the vaccine shots in Bermuda are the Pfizer two-dose ones, and all have come from the UK. Close to 30,000 shots have been administered here since the middle of January, and a third of those are second doses.

Another 10,500 Pfizer doses arrived last week on the British Airways flight and Bermuda has joined the COVAX Facility, and has purchased an additional 26,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

To reach herd immunity on the rock we need 70% of the 64,000 population immunized. There are a fair number of under 16’s in that 64,000. Herd immunity depends on two factors though – a community willingness to be vaccinated and a continuous supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Sadly I still know of many locals who are refusing a vaccine.

Today Bermuda moves into phase 3 of it’s allocation strategy and are allowing anyone over 16 to register. I have to say I have been very impressed by the way the Bermuda Government have moved to distribute and administer the vaccine doses, and the staff and the organization of where I had mine were excellent.

Constant murmourings of independence have quietened recently with the UK sending the island over 40,000 doses, as it has done to it’s other overseas territories. Those additional AstraZeneca ones are less committal. They are slated to come through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the estimation is that Bermuda ‘should’ receive 25% of the doses in the first quarter of this year, with the remaining 75% not being received until later in the second quarter of the year.

Unfortunately hopes of restrictions being lifted and the freedom to travel and avoid those barriers to travel post vaccination have not really been realized, and that is mostly due to a spike in cases in Bermuda during the last week to ten days.

I don’t expect we are alone but some people just can’t wait and some large get togethers way beyond the limit of 25 have caused a quick spread of local transmissions, particularly in schools and the government have been quick to tighten restrictions on gatherings, numbers and lengthened the night-time curfew.

The stupid few bugger it up for everyone else of course and it’s senseless that bars, restaurants, youth sports and events have to suffer, and with no one currently in hospital, I think these re-tightening of rules is way excessive, and a whole host of stuff including kids Easter camps will be cancelled.

The Bermuda FA last week ended their season which I found odd. There was still over half the season to play when it was suspended in early December. The national team will play their World Cup qualifier against Canada in Florida next week.

For those of us vaccinated the rules are very grey. There is no need to quarantine at home after flying back from overseas, although the pre and arrival testing (four altogether) is still required and companies and schools have their own translation of a rather confounding and outdated set of guidelines on the government website.

Anyway I am very happy and lucky to have got both my jabs.